Step 1

Bring to a boil enough water for both the AeroPress and your brew vessel. 4 ounces ought to do it.

Step 2

Insert a paper filter into the AeroPress’s detachable plastic cap.

Step 3

Weigh out 15 grams of coffee.

Step 4

Grind your coffee. AeroPress calls for a fine grind – just a bit more so than drip coffee.

Step 5

Assemble your AeroPress. Make sure the entire assembly is dry, since any residual moisture can compromise the device’s seal.

Step 6

Place it on your scale with the flared end up, then tare the weight. The numbers should appear upside-down. It’s possible to attach the black filter cap and place it right side-up, but this tends to cause leakage and make accurate brewing slightly more difficult.

Step 7

Add your ground coffee. Be careful not to spill any grounds into the ring-shaped gutter at the top of the AeroPress, as this can make attaching the cap a challenge later on.

Step 8

Add twice the volume of water to your amount of grounds. For example, if you’ve got 15 grams of coffee, add 4 ounces. Your water ought to be about 200 F.

Step 9

Gently immerse the grounds with a bamboo paddle or butter knife. The goal here is not to stir them so much as it is to guarantee even saturation. Let this sit for 30 seconds.

Step 10

After a minute has elapsed, give your grounds 10 vigorous stirs.

Step 11

Screw the cap onto the AeroPress. You’re in very close proximity to seriously hot coffee here, so please be careful.

Step 12

Flip the whole assembly over with haste and control and purpose. All three. Position it atop your brew vessel and begin applying downward pressure. You ought to experience about 30 pounds of resistance here. If the pushing feels too easy, your grind is likely too coarse; if it’s very hard to push, chances are the grind is a bit too fine. Your coffee’s fully brewed once it begins to make a hissing sound. This means there’s no more water to push through the device.

Step 13

Now here’s the really satisfying part, for two reasons. Once you’ve unscrewed the cap, you can pop out the filter and the puck of condensed grounds by simply pushing the AeroPress’s interior section a final inch. Then, of course, you can pour your coffee and enjoy. And please do enjoy.